2009 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award Winners to Be Honored at National Press Club October 26

International Women's Media Foundation:

(BUSINESS WIRE) - WHO: 2009 Courage in Journalism Award winners: Iryna Khalip of Belarus, reporter and editor in the Minsk bureau of Novaya Gazeta; Agnes Taile of Cameroon, media consultant and former reporter for Canal 2 International, radio and television; and Jila Baniyaghoob* of Iran, freelance reporter and editor-in-chief of the Web site Kanoon Zanan Irani (Iranian Women's Center). The 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Amira Hass, a reporter and columnist for Ha'aretz Daily, a newspaper based in Tel Aviv. For more in-depth bios on the winners please visit: http://www.iwmf.org/categorylistyear.aspx?c=cijwinner

"These remarkable journalists have chosen to report the news in three countries where pursuit of the truth puts them at risk for arrest, physical attacks and even death," said Judy Woodruff, chair of the IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards. "Still, they have consistently, for many years, chosen to risk their lives and livelihoods in pursuing stories that illuminate the lives of people in their countries and enlighten us all."

WHEN:				Monday, October 26, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m.**
WHERE:				The National Press Club, Washington D.C.

*Baniyaghoob will not attend the event.

The event is sponsored by the IWMF in association with The George Washington University Global Media Institute and the National Press Club.

For the fourth straight year, the IWMF is proud to have Bank of America as our national presenting sponsor of the Courage in Journalism Awards.

Created in 1990, the IWMF (www.iwmf.org) Courage in Journalism Awards honor women journalists who have shown extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting the news under dangerous or difficult circumstances. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for women in the news media. Including this year's award winners, 66 journalists have won Courage Awards and 18 journalists have been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards. The 2009 awards will be presented in New York on October 20, 2009, and Los Angeles on October 28, 2009.

Availability: Interviews by phone in any location. In-person interviews in New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Please contact us for schedule.

**SPACE IS LIMITED; RSVP IS ESSENTIAL NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 22, 2009

For the International Women's Media Foundation
Beverly Visty-Doman
(310) 216-7895 office
(213) 706-9321 mobile
bdoman@dharmata.com
or
Lis Perry
(310) 422-8718 mobile
lis@dharmata.com